In the U.S., approved to use artificial pancreas

Company Medtronic has received approval from the FDA on the artificial pancreas. The device was approved earlier than expected – it was expected that the FDA will make its decision no earlier than spring 2017. The device is intended for patients older than 14 years.

The main part of the device – sensitive sensor and an insulin pump. The instrument automatically determines the blood sugar level and injects the required dose of insulin to patients with type 1 diabetes. The MiniMed 670G device measures sugar levels every five minutes and, if necessary, independently introduces insulin. Patients no longer need to constantly monitor the sugar level – it is only necessary to enter data about meals and physical exercise.

Users of the device do not have to regularly measure the blood sugar and do injections – I’ve got the device. The developers believe that the MiniMed 670G will greatly facilitate the life of patients, because some of the stress itself causes the need for injections.

Insulin pumps are used by many patients with diabetes, but they have to manually measure the level of sugar. Other diabetics use wearable sensors that are not capable of doing the insulin injections. Artificial pancreas, developed by Medtronic, the first allowed to use a device which performs both of these functions. The development of such devices do other manufacturers.

Price of the device was not officially announced, but it is assumed that the MiniMed 670G will cost 5-8 thousand dollars. This amount does not include the cost of the sensor, which will need to be changed every year – it will cost another several thousand dollars.